For the third consecutive day, a thick blanket of dense fog brought normal life across Odisha to a grinding halt on Saturday, severely disrupting air, rail, and road traffic. The capital city of Bhubaneswar was among the worst affected, with visibility plunging to alarming levels and forcing major operational changes at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA).
Airport Operations Suspended, Flights Diverted
The intensity of the fog was so severe that authorities at the Biju Patnaik International Airport had to suspend all flight operations for a critical four-hour window. From 5:30 am to 9:30 am, the airport was non-operational, leading to significant passenger congestion during the morning hours. BPIA Director Prasanna Pradhan confirmed the disruption, citing the dense fog as the primary cause for multiple flight delays.
Visibility at the airport and other parts of the state dropped drastically below 50 metres. In some areas within the capital, visibility was recorded at zero metres, making movement perilous. This near-zero visibility compelled airport authorities to divert three incoming flights to alternative airports in Ranchi, Kolkata, and Chennai for safety reasons.
Rail Network in Disarray with Massive Delays
The impact on the railway network was even more profound, with cascading delays affecting numerous trains. The East Coast Railway (ECoR) spokesperson explained that loco pilots were instructed to operate at restricted speeds due to the low visibility, a necessary safety measure that resulted in extensive delays.
Several key trains faced extraordinary setbacks on their routes to Puri and Bhubaneswar:
- New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Duronto Express arrived a staggering 18 hours and 25 minutes late, reaching at 6:05 am on Saturday instead of its scheduled 11:40 am on Friday.
- Rishikesh-Puri Kalinga Utkal Express (18478) reached Puri 10 hours behind schedule.
- ANVT-Puri Purushottam Express was delayed by 7 hours and 29 minutes.
- New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express arrived at 11:11 pm on Friday, missing its 5:30 pm scheduled arrival.
- ANVT-Puri Neelanchal Express (12876) was running 4 hours late on Saturday.
Passengers expressed deep frustration over the chaos. Harish Thakur, a traveller from Kanpur on the Duronto Express, lamented the loss of time and missed work, stating he booked the fast train for its limited stops but never expected it to run with such poor punctuality like an ordinary service.
IMD Issues Warning, Cold Wave Intensifies
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has attributed the persistent fog to radiation cooling. Scientist Manorama Mohanty, head of the regional IMD centre in Bhubaneswar, confirmed this meteorological pattern. The fog coincided with a dip in temperatures, with hill station G Udayagiri in Kandhamal recording the state's lowest at 7°C, followed by Phulbani at 8.5°C. Bhubaneswar recorded a minimum of 14.8°C.
In a concerning forecast, the IMD has stated that the dense fog conditions are likely to persist. An orange warning for very dense fog has been issued for five districts—Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, and Nayagarh—for the next three days starting Sunday. The warning extends to several other districts including Dhenkanal, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, and Ganjam, among others. The IMD bulletin also predicts a gradual drop in night temperature by 2°C to 4°C from Sunday, with the dense fog alert remaining in effect at least until January 7.
The combination of poor visibility and colder temperatures continues to challenge commuters and authorities alike, with road traffic also suffering as buses arrived late at their destinations across the state.
